Grief
by Oneshot Agency
Summary: WARNING: THE BURNING MAZE SPOILERS / How the demigods react when they hear the news. FINISHED.
1. Hazel and Frank

**Warning: The Burning Maze Spoilers. Read at your own discretion.**

/

As rejoiced as Apollo was for going to a camp filled with heavily armored demigods that could provide _assistance_ on his quest, he was feeling utterly dejected. And the reason was because of the coffin that was unmoving below him on the plane.

Apollo swore that Styx put the coffin directly below him just to spite him, reminding him of all of his broken promises. The former god has had his fair share of guilt trips in his multiple millennia-lifespan, but this easily took the cake.

Maybe it was his sensitive human brain messing with him. Maybe he was actually starting to value human lives as much as his own. With anxiety twisting his stomach, he concluded that it was the latter.

Usually, becoming more empathetic is not a bad thing. But as an immortal god who would outlive every mortal he came across? Apollo would have gone mad if he felt this level of grief with every mortal he was connected to. As a god, _everyone_ dies. It is simply fact that they have to accept, but in the process, gods often come off as cold and uncaring.

It's not they don't want to grieve for all of their loved humans. It's that they _can't_ , for the sake of the world and their sanity. Everyone has seen what happened with Romeo and Juliet once the boy thought she was dead. Can you image a god reacting that way for every single person they fell in love with? Apollo himself would have caused hundreds of Trojan Wars.

However, Apollo had personally seen more death, felt more pain and fear, and feared for his life more times in the past couple of weeks than he has ever before in his seemingly endless life. Understandably, his perspective was changing.

Apollo glanced down at the diorama next to him and his chest tightened. How could he possibly tell the Legion that their former praetor was dead and that it was his fault?

It also dawned on Apollo that he was going to be stepping into a Roman camp as a former Greek god. Just more of a reason for the Romans to like him!

Above him, the seatbelt warning flashed on and the pilot came on over the speaker. "Good afternoon passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are preparing for dissent so please take your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Please remain sitting with your seatbelts on until the plane has stopped moving. Thank you for flying with us, please enjoy your stay," the pilot said cheerfully before clicking off.

Apollo knew that his stay was going to be everything but enjoyable. He swore he could hear Styx laughing at him.

In front of him, coming back from the bathroom, Meg flopped down in her seat, humming some song under her breath, and Apollo could hear the click of her seatbelt strapping together.

As Apollo went to do this himself, he hesitated, thinking about what lay ahead of them.

 _Please, father, strike this plane down now._

Then he remembered Jason's face, guilt crawled up his throat, and he clicked his seatbelt over his lap. He laid a protective hand on Jason's diorama to assure that no pieces were rattled with the landing.

He glanced out the window as the plane began to drop slowly towards a runway, the Bay Area coming into view. He could see Camp Jupiter in the distance, no further than a couple miles away from the airfield, with little plumes of smoke still rising from it. However, as Leo promised, it appeared to be one piece.

As a former god, of course Apollo knew about the Roman camp. Since the sun and music are universal, regardless of location, Apollo was one of the few gods who did not have trouble balancing his Greek and Roman forms. He was basically the same on both sides, just with slightly different music tastes.

While he knew of the camp, he chose not to acknowledge it. It just made things easier. Doing this, he didn't have to worry about giving his awesome haikus to two groups of people at the same time so he simply stuck with the camp that was closest to the Empire State Building.

As always, though, Fate decided to laugh in his face as his mortal self was being directly shipped to the place he wanted to ignore.

 _Fantastic_.

Finally, plane's wheels touched solid ground which took them out of Apollo's father's territory. Looks like Zeus decided to not shoot down his son today.

With the plane still slowing down on the runway, Meg unbuckled her seatbelt against the captain's words and flipped around in her seat to look at Apollo. He couldn't meet her intense stare so he kept looking out the window at the small airfield they had pulled into.

Meg raised an eyebrow. "So what now?"

The plane slowed to a halt and Apollo glanced down once more at the diorama next to him, playing nervously with his human hands.

"We go to Camp Jupiter, find the daughter of Bellona, and give Jason Grace the burial of a hero."

/

Luckily, Piper McLean had come in clutch one more time by having a hearse at the ready for them at the airfield. Before seeing it, Apollo had no plan for transporting the coffin the couple miles to the camp. Now, he didn't have to worry about it.

Apollo helped the driver load the demigod's body into the car, the driver offering his condolences. Apollo could only nod in thanks, trying to swallow the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. He held diorama protectively in his arms as he watched the world go by on the drive to the camp.

The driver must have been close to Piper because he seemed to know exactly where to park the car outside the Camp Jupiter's east entrance. Mount Diablo stood tall behind them as they pulled over to the side of the road.

Apollo stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk, feeling the power coming from the camp. Even his mortal self could tell he was quite literally on the line between the world and New Rome.

Meg poked Apollo's side, making him jump. She pointed to two armed teenagers who were heading their way. "We got company," she said helpfully.

That was another thing Apollo probably should have taken into consideration. He had no clue if the Legion was expecting them so there was a good possibility that he was about to be killed.

Despite this, Apollo waved kindly at the approaching Romans. The two of them, a boy and a girl, were decked out in armor with swords in hand, helmets on their head. Their purple shirts and tattooed forearms showed their allegiance to New Rome.

They looked at Meg and Apollo hesitantly, not sure whether to raise alarm or not.

"Who are you?" the girl called out, stopping about ten yards from Apollo and Meg. The driver was still busy on pulling out the coffin, and the Romans did not seem to notice him.

Apollo raised his arms in surrender, and in his most confident voice, which wasn't very confident, mustered, "I am the god Apollo. This is Meg, daughter of Demeter. We've come to speak to the Daughter of Bellona in order to save the world."

The two Romans looked at each incredulously, then back at Apollo. How could this flabby, pimpled teenager be the god of the sun? "Um...Apollo, you have any proof of identification?" the boy called out in a deep voice.

Apollo pinched his nose between his eyes, before dropping his arms tiredly to his sides, hearing Meg laugh next to him. "Yeah, Apollo," she teased, "Show them your ID."

In the form of a command, Apollo found himself unable to move due to the fact that he had no ID to show. "Just, please." he said, desperateness leaking into his voice, "I can explain everything if you let us in. I am unarmed. Besides-" Apollo glanced behind him. The driver had finally unloaded Jason's coffin onto a rolling cart that they could use to transfer it the rest of the way. The driver pushed it up onto the side where Apollo and Meg were standing, nodded his head at Apollo in acknowledgement, got in the car, and drove away.

The two Romans looked at the coffin uneasily and slightly raised their swords. "What is that?" the girl asked.

Apollo sighed, tears welling up in his eyes.

"It is Jason Grace, your former praetor. He is here to be buried."

/

At the name of their former leader, the two Romans immediately sheathed their swords and came over to the group. They stared in shock at the bronze coffin before each taking a side and pushing it towards the camp. "Follow us," the girl called softly over her shoulder.

The Romans moved their previous leader with the utmost respect and care, even going as far as to maneuver the wheels of the cart around cracks in the path. Distress was clearly written on their faces. The two identified themselves as Carly and Sean, both somewhat new members of the camp. Apollo could see tears in Sean's eyes.

Alone, Apollo and Meg would have been enough to attract eyes from bystanders. Apollo, as unimpressive as he was, and Meg, with her preschool-colored-outfit. They were an interesting duo.

Add in a bronze coffin being pushed in front of them, and Apollo could hear the whispers rising around them as they walked. He wanted nothing more than to jump in the Little Tiber and be washed away forever.

When they reached the border of the city, Carly turned and asked, "Do you have any weapons on you?"

Apollo shook his head, but looked at Meg who was twirling her rings. "What's it to ya?" Meg said, staring at them over her glasses.

"We have to disarm you. No weapons are allowed within city borders or else Tiberinus will come after you," Carly explained, noticing Meg's fidgeting.

The name Tiberinus rang a bell in Apollo's head, making him think of a lot of shouting, but he couldn't put a name to a face. Apollo turned to Meg. "Hand them over. The last thing we need is to start trouble."

Meg didn't have to listen to him, but she knew he was right. She huffed and pulled the rings off before putting them in Carly's outstretched hand. She placed them in a small container that laid alone on a pedestal in the middle of the path. Once she dropped them in, they disappeared from view.

Meg started to protest before Carly said, "Relax, they're are just going to a central holding station. You'll get them back once you leave the city borders." She turned back to the coffin and said sadly, "Let's get this to Reyna. She's going to want to see him."

/

News of a coffin being transported through town spread quickly. It wasn't necessarily uncommon as demigods die too often, but with two new stragglers in tow and the grandness of the coffin, it gained attention like wildfire.

People came from their homes or watched from the windows as the group trudged by. Conversations stopped as all eyes fell on the bronze box. Whispers grew. The only people who knew of its contents was Sean and Carly so lots of questions were being asked.

As they neared a building labeled "Senate," two people came from the front doors. The young man saw the coffin first and pulled the girl behind him, both hurrying over in disbelief.

Sean and Carly stopped their movement and bowed at the presence of the two. The young man of Chinese descent had the body of a grown man but the face a baby. He wore a purple tunic. The girl had a dark complexion and golden eyes, her curly hair falling around her face.

To Apollo, he knew he should recognize them but nothing came to thought. He really needed some food and sleep.

Sean and Carly saw their approach and stopped their movement. They both bowed, and Sean said, "Praetor Zhang, we found-"

The purple tunic guy, Praetor Zhang, stopped him with a raised hand. His face was red and he looked angry. "Who is in that coffin?" he demanded loudly.

Everyone was silent. A crowd was forming around them. Sean and Carly looked desperately at Apollo and Meg.

The girl was staring unbelievably at the coffin. Praetor Zhang looked around and focused his glare at Apollo. He strode over to him and Apollo suddenly worried that he was about to be punched. "Who is in that coffin?" he yelled again, getting in Apollo's face.

Apollo's mouth fell open, stunned and unable to move as the praetor gripped the front of Apollo's shirt. Apollo was surprised to see the praetor's eyes shining with tears.

"Who's in the coffin, damn it!"

Apollo let out a shaky breath and it fell from his lips. "Jason Grace, son of Jupiter and former praetor of the Twelfth Legion."

A collective gasp went out from the crowd. The girl who was with Praetor Zhang let out a sob and fell against the coffin.

The praetor fell back from Apollo in shock, releasing him. He turned to the coffin as tears began to fall from his eyes. The fallen demigod's name fell brokenly from his lips as he pulled the girl from the coffin and into a tight embrace.

She was weakly hitting the praetor's wide chest. "I knew something was wrong, Frank, I could feel him slipping," she said between sobs, "I should have done something!"

 _Frank Zhang_. It hit Apollo like a ton of bricks. Son of Mars, part of the Seven from the Giant War. That meant the girl must be-

"Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto, and Frank Zhang, son of Mars," Apollo said out loud without realizing it. He immediately shut his mouth.

Hazel turned her steely gaze to Apollo and pulled herself from Frank. "Who do you think you are?" She stepped closer to Apollo. Rare gems started to rise up from the ground around her. "Did you do it? Did you kill him?" Eyes red, she turned to Sean and Carly. They flinched under her glare. "You let them into camp? Do you even know who they are?"

Sean looked wildly between Hazel and Apollo. "Um, I don't-we didn't-he said he's Apollo," he sputtered out, red faced. "And the girl is a daughter of Demeter."

At the Greek name, another round of whispers started. Hazel turned to Meg, who was surprisingly quiet. Her glare softened as she took in the little girl. "Demeter? Are you from Camp Half-Blood?"

Meg stood up a little taller, the attention now on her, and said, "I went there once before I was sent out on a quest, but I am Greek."

Hazel nodded towards the former god. "And who's he? Is that really the god Apollo?"

Meg nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. I'm his master!" she declared happily.

Hazel's eyebrows shot up and despite the situation, the corner of her mouth tugged up. "You're his master? What does that-"

Meg turned to Apollo with a devilish smile and commanded, "Apollo, jump."

Apollo tried to resist, but his legs acted without his brain. He jumped as high as he could. He could hear snickers.

Hazel turned her anger back on and faced Apollo again. "So if you're a god, the god of _healing_ , why is Jason-" her voice cut off, "Why didn't you help him? Do you even care?" She stepped into Apollo's personal space and poked a finger into his chest. Tears were running down her face again.

Frank stepped forward and gently grabbed her arm. His eyes were red but he wasn't crying anymore. "Hazel," his voice was thick, "Sometimes there's nothing you can do-"

Hazel wasn't going to take that for an answer. She pulled away from Frank's grasp. "No! There is nothing _we_ can do. You're a god! There is always something _you_ can do!"

With each of her words, Apollo felt like a bullet was tearing through his skin. It was all the same questions he had been asking himself after the tragedy. He couldn't defend himself.

To his, and everyone's surprise, Meg spoke up. She narrowed her eyes at the older girl. "Hey, there was nothing he could do because he's not a god anymore. Just look at him." She waved her hand in front of him like a host in front of prize on a game-show.

Both Hazel and Frank seemed to come out of a haze, as if they were seeing Apollo's, or Lester's, pathetic form for the first time. Pimples, flab, depressed expression, and all.

Hazel sighed, her shoulders drooping, and her face falling again. She turned back to the coffin for a second before going back into the safety of Frank's arms. "Can we just-" she said from Frank's chest, "Can we just talk alone somewhere?"

/

Hazel and Frank could not believe the story they just heard.

Jason had always been a god figure at Camp Jupiter. He was invincible, smart, and quick. The boy killed Krios around the age of sixteen, for gods' sake. He was trained by Lupa herself. His father was Jupiter, leader of the gods. He was a part of the Seven strongest demigods alive, possibly ever. He saved the world countless times, saved his friends countless times.

Despite all of this, he was just _dead_?

While Hazel and Frank have unfortunately seen their fair share of fallen demigods, they had never seen a demigod as powerful as Jason die. Jason Grace isn't just killed. In their minds, it didn't make sense. Jason was too wise, too agile for it to happen.

And yet, the hero's life ended in a second just like everyone else's.

Hazel let out a loud sob when Apollo painfully retold of Caligula's second fatal strike on the demigod; Frank felt sick to his stomach.

Hazel told the former god of her dream. She could only see black, but the sounds of battle played around her. Then a terrible pain shot through her back, and she saw electric blue eyes wide in fear in front of her, and she knew a child of Jupiter/Zeus was in trouble. She just couldn't figure out which one fast enough. Diamonds began to rise at her feet as she cried into Frank, whose own eyes were misty and red.

Afterwards, Hazel and Frank sat alone while Apollo went to rest. Frank knew he should address the Legion since Reyna was away on business but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He sent an eagle to the other praetor, telling her to come home right away on urgent matters.

Frank couldn't tell her what happened over a letter. It wouldn't be fair.

Hazel and Frank felt as fragile as ever. If Jason could be killed, no one was safe.

They held onto each other a little tighter from then on.

/

 **Timeline of my last 24 hours:**

 **6:00 PM yesterday: Read spoiler on Instagram of Jason's death. 6:30 PM yesterday: Arrive at Barnes and Noble to buy The Burning Maze. 6:45 yesterday: Start reading. 11:00 AM today: Finish the book. 11:30 today: Start writing. 11:59 PM of same day: Finish writing.**

 **This book gave me a lot of emotions and yet, I don't know how I feel about it. I enjoyed seeing Piper and Jason again, but they seemed out of character a little bit. It could just be me. Also, I have a feeling Jason won't stay dead. Call me hopeful but Rick is giving me a lot of clues. I have proof.**

 **This story is going to consist of all of the major demigods reacting to Jason's death. They won't necessarily be in any particular order. Just on what I am feeling in that moment. My current list is: Frank/Hazel, Percy/Annabeth, Nico/Will, Reyna, and Thalia. If there is anyone else you want to see, let me know in a PM or review and I'll see what I can come up with!**

 **Sorry if I didn't get all of the plot points right. I never actually completely read the first two books of The Trials of Apollo so I might have messed some things up. Sorry. I also didn't really edit/proof read this. Sorry. I might have also not captured Frank and Hazel's characters correctly. I tried my best, but I could be wrong. Sorry.**

 **Have a good one, y'all. Hopefully I'll update soon. Who knows.**


	2. Percy and Annabeth

Things were going pretty well for Percy and Annabeth at the moment.

After the whole crashing-the-car-between-two-peach-trees situation, Percy had managed to avoid enough quests to do well in his final high school classes and pass all of his finals (with the help of Annabeth, of course). They had gone through graduation, with Sally, Paul, and Estelle all looking on gleefully. Once the ceremony was over and they were reunited with their families, Sally could not stop taking pictures of the two. Estelle was happily giggling in her father's arms.

It might have been perfect.

With the end of high school, the two were planning on flying out to Camp Jupiter at the end of June. They wanted to spend the summer getting acquainted to the city before they started their classes in August.

While Percy insisted that they take Blackjack, Annabeth told him that the pegasus did not provide proper space for luggage. So, a plane it was.

At the airport, Percy assured his mother that he was a pegasus ride away if he ever needed to come home, and that he was protected inside the borders of New Rome. He left her with a pouch of drachmas just in case she wanted to IM him. Estelle was sad to see her brother, who absolutely adored her, leave to go somewhere but she was still too young to fully understand the situation. Paul gently pleaded with Annabeth to watch over their son and make sure he didn't do anything stupid in their time away. Percy protested, Annabeth laughed, and promised to watch over her boyfriend and his grades.

With final hugs and kisses, the two boarded the plane and were off.

While flying had gotten easier for the son of Poseidon, having Annabeth next to him relaxed any extra nerves he may have had. He put his nervous energy into twirling her hair, which was down, around his finger. However, Annabeth would testify that he jumped with every little piece of turbulence.

After the five hour flight, the duo landed in San Francisco and left to get a taxi to the Chase's house, where they would be staying for a few days while they waited for all of their luggage to be shipped over. They couldn't exactly tell FedEx to deliver a toaster to a location that didn't exist in mortals' eyes.

With Annabeth's improving relationship with her mortal family, they were greeted with more hugs and kisses. Frederick and his wife looked happy to see them, and the now-teenaged boys gave their step-sister a hug and her boyfriend a handshake.

Everything was going surprisingly well for two demigods who were trained to always expect the worst.

Both Annabeth and Percy had a bad feeling.

Then Annabeth's phone rang. She pulled it from her bag and excused herself to the living room where she was alone. She left Percy in the foyer with her family.

'Piper McCool' came up on her phone. Annabeth smiled. She hadn't talked to her friend in weeks. The last time they had talked, Piper was still getting over her post-breakup depression. They had talked almost nightly after it originally had happened, with Annabeth trying to make sense of it all. She and Percy had been understandably shocked when they heard, but they weren't ones to be heavily involved in other people's relationships. They knew what it was like ( _cough_ a certain love goddess _cough_ ) so they respected Piper's decision and supported her through it. Percy stayed in touch with Jason often to make sure the boy was doing okay and still living his life.

Annabeth happily accepted the call and put it up against her ear. "Hey, Pipes. What's up?"

Annabeth could practically hear her friend's sad smile through the phone. "Hey, Annabeth," she said tiredly. "I-I have some bad news. I wanted to tell you in person, but we're still getting settled in Oklahoma which I'll explain later because I can't right now, but I wanted to tell you first."

Annabeth's heart rate picked up. "What happened Piper? Are you okay?"

Annabeth could hear Piper take a shaky breath over the phone. She said, "Are you with Percy? He should probably hear it too because I don't know if I can say it twice." Her voice broke at the end.

Annabeth's heart twisted at the pain in her friends voice. "Yeah, hold on a second." Annabeth turned on the couch and looked down the hallway into the foyer. She made eye contact with Percy. His expression immediately fell serious when he saw the fear across her face. She waved him over wildly, and he excused himself from the Chase family and hurried over. He sat down next to her, his face clearly questioning. Annabeth laced her fingers with his.

She steeled herself for the news. "What's going on?" Percy listened on, able to hear Piper's voice through the phone from Annabeth's ear. Whatever Piper was going to say, her phone didn't need to be loud enough for the Chase family to hear.

Annabeth's hand that was holding Percy's immediately flew to her mouth when Piper told her what happened. Percy let out a shaky breath next to her and squeezed his eyes shut. He put his arm around Annabeth and pulled her tight to him. Both had tears falling down their cheeks.

When Piper finished recounting the entire trip, Annabeth calmed herself enough to ask, "Piper, are you okay?"

There was a long pause before she replied, "My dad has been helping me. I'm getting by." She sobbed out the last word. Percy could hear her let out a humorless laugh over the phone. "I didn't think it was possible to cry this much."

Both Percy and Annabeth's hearts broke for their friend who was clearly in a lot of pain.

Piper explained that the burial was going to be at Camp Jupiter within the next few days. When Annabeth asked if she was going to be there, she said, "Camp Jupiter needs to grieve their leader. I've already said my goodbye. Besides, I'll see him again someday."

After Percy and Annabeth promised to visit her sometime in the coming weeks, and urged their friend to call them if she needed absolutely anything, they gave thick goodbyes and hung up.

Annabeth put her phone down on the table in front of her and took a shaky breath. Her head fell to Percy's shoulder and he kissed her hair.

In moments like before, when they finished school, graduated, and moved out to California, it was easy to forget that they were different from other people their age. For four months, they almost felt like normal teenagers.

One phone call brought them crashing back into their dangerous, terrifying reality.

"How can Jason just be-" Percy started, "He's the son of Jupiter, damn it. He deserved so much better than this."

Annabeth could feel her boyfriend's anger rising so to avoid any exploding toilets, she gripped his hand and squeezed tightly. "I know, Percy. It's not fair-"

Percy pulled back so he could look Annabeth in the eyes. "Why Jason? Why couldn't freaking Apollo been the one if he's _so_ heroic?"

Annabeth reached up and held his chin to force him to focus. Her eyes were wet with tears."Gods, Percy, I know. But _this is our life_. This is our job. Demigods have been dying for thousands of years, for what?" Percy started to cry. "I know we are not a part of this quest, but we can't let him die in vain. The last thing we should be doing is getting angry at the wrong people. Caligula killed Jason. Caligula did. We have to do whatever we can to make sure that Jason's legacy lives on. That's the best thing we can do right now."

Despite her encouraging words, Annabeth's heart ached. Her lungs felt heavy. She was lightheaded. _How could Jason Grace be dead?_

Percy felt numb. As soon as he heard the words from Annabeth's phone, his hands and feet lost all feeling. He had struggled to listen to the rest of Piper's words. All he could see was Jason getting stabbed in the back with a spear, falling off Tempest, and then getting stabbed again. Over and over, the scene played out in his head.

He thought back to when Apollo and Meg came to his apartment. He should've done more to help, kept the others demigods out of it, handled it himself so no one else but him got hurt. He should have walked with them into Camp Half-Blood that day, instead of selfishly returning to his safe life as a high schooler.

Over and over, he told himself he should have done better, should have gave himself for the sake of his friend's. If he would have helped Apollo from the beginning, Jason would still be alive.

He expressed these thoughts to Annabeth that night, as they got ready for bed in Annabeth's room.

She turned red-hot right away, turning to him angrily. "Percy, what more could you have done? You are a human being too. You deserve to live your life. You don't have to be everyone's protector."

Percy looked at her sadly. "If I would've helped, Jason would still be-"

Annabeth strode over to him and stopped in front of him. "And where would that leave you? Where would you be right now if you went with Apollo? Would you be dead too? You'd leave your mom, Paul, Estelle, me behind, just like that?"

Percy's shoulders sagged and he fell into his girlfriend's arms. He knew his perspective was ridiculous and skewed, but it was how his mind worked. In Percy's head, he should and could save his loved ones. If something happened to them, _he_ did something wrong along to way to lead to it. His fatal flaw did not allow him to think another way.

He had grown exceptionally close to Jason over the Giant War, but especially in the past few months where he became Jason's personal therapist. While Annabeth respected Jason and saw him as a friend, they weren't the closest of friends. This was hitting Percy harder than his counterpart.

That night, Annabeth held Percy in her arms until he fell asleep, and then again when he woke up shaking from a nightmare about his fallen friend. Percy saw Jason with a spear in his back, his blue eyes begging, pleading for help that Percy couldn't give.

Annabeth held him, tears falling down her own cheeks, until his eyes were dry and the morning sun was streaming through the window.

/

Later that day, Annabeth received a call from her cousin, Magnus. The paperwork for the house was done and it was set to open soon. Despite the current situation, the good news brought some hope to her heart, that there was still some good occurring in the world.

Magnus sensed the sadness in her voice, as her voice was probably still thick from the night of crying, but she couldn't bring herself to explain, giving her cousin the simple explanation that they had heard some bad news. It was all she could manage.

After bidding him well wishes and goodbye, she hung up the phone and turned to Percy. He had bags under his eyes, but his eyes weren't as dull as they were the night before.

She knew they could push through this.

The two decided that they should go to Camp Jupiter that day to make sure they were in attendance for Jason's burial. The last thing they wanted was to miss it. If they showed early, they'd do anything they could to help make sure it was perfect. It was the least they could do.

So, they hopped in the Chase's car and drove to the camp, quiet and peaceful. Annabeth drove as she knew the area better while Percy slept in the passenger seat. Their clasped hands never separated over the center console.

After they arrived at the border of the camp, they parked their car at a convenient public parking lot near the entrance and walked into New Rome. They greeted Tiberinus as they handed over their weapons, who seemed rather reserved and calm, given he knew the reason for their unexpected visit.

They were walking to the Senate Hall when Percy spotted a familiar figure walking in the same direction with what looked like one of Annabeth's architecture projects in his arms. Percy immediately gained Annabeth's attention and nodded his head to the unimpressive boy ahead of them.

"That's Apollo," he said under his breath, striding towards the former god.

He pulled a shocked Annabeth behind him. Obviously, Percy had told her the stories of the god dropping in on his apartment and their drive to Camp Half-Blood. Percy had absentmindedly mentioned how the god had lost his looks and powers, but Annabeth never fully believed his words. Now, she couldn't believe her eyes, looking at the former god. She knew it must be torturous for him as the god was always sensitive to his appearance.

"Hey, Apollo." Percy called out as they approached him from behind.

He turned around to look at them and the demigods were taken aback at how tired, sad, and lost the former god looked. Everything about him sagged, his hair unkempt, his face dirty, and his eyes glassy. The project in his arms that Annabeth immediately recognized as a reconstruction of Camp Jupiter's Temple Hill seemed to weigh him down.

"Percy. Annabeth," he said in greeting, his voice gravelly.

Looking at Apollo, Annabeth didn't see a former god but a broken boy who was feeling more than he could handle.

Her heart smarted, and for once her heart acted before her brain. She gently took the diorama from his arms, gave it to Percy, and hugged Apollo because, _gods_ , did he look like he needed one.

If someone would have told Annabeth a week ago that she'd be comforting a pathetic, mortal version of Apollo while he hugged her back, she would have laughed and judo flipped them over her shoulder. Now, she'd give anything to go back in time a week.

Finally, after a couple sniffles from Apollo, Annabeth pulled away and retreated back to Percy's side. She examined the diorama she had placed into his arms. It was eloquently done by someone with a lot of care and knowledge of the landscape. Everything was accounted for, down to the trash cans in the corners. Based on the detail and handwriting, Annabeth knew who it belonged to. She analyzed the additional temples that crowded the Hill, and she felt her heart jerk again.

He was trying to fulfill the same wish that Percy had wanted after the Titan War.

She let her head fall against Percy's arm for a second to recollect herself and appreciate her boyfriend's presence, her eyes closed, before she stepped back and looked at Apollo.

He was watching her analyze the reconstruction. He cleared his throat. "You should take that," he said. "I have no use for it. Besides, I'm sure there's no one else Jason would trust to rebuild Camp Jupiter the way he would have wanted it. You did do a pretty good job on Olympus, even though we didn't let you finish."

Annabeth had almost forgotten about her redesign of the gods' home. After the gods shut them out and everything that had happened in the past year, it was the last thing on her mind. Now, it seemed so insignificant.

She took another glance at the diorama and her mind began to draw blueprints. She imagined pillars rising from the ground, marble carving into statues, and fountains springing clear water, all to fit Jason's designs. She knew what to do and how to do it. She knew how much work, time, and sleep would have to go into it. On top of college, it would cause her a good amount of extra stress.

But, she knew that this was going to be Jason's last physical legacy and that it would stand for thousands of years, after the rest of the Seven and their stories were long forgotten. These redesigns would keep Jason's name forever engraved in demigod history, which the hero deserved.

She had to fulfill it for him, just as she had said to Percy before. Later, she would learn that it was the fallen demigod's final desire and she _refused_ to let him down, even in death.

From the ground and up, Annabeth Chase was going to build Jason's city.

/

 **One AP test down, two to go.**

 **This didn't come out as fast as I wanted it to because school, sports, and other excuses, but at least it's not a year later so you have that to be happy about.**

 **I really like this chapter. There might be some plot mistakes, grammatical/spelling errors, or whatever, but I like how Percy and Annabeth's reactions came out. I always imagine that Percy would be angry at first, blame himself, and then be sad while Annabeth would be the realistic one with the harsh truths that no one wants to hear but has to hear. But I also see her with a soft side, especially after everything that happened in HoO. I think what happened to her and Percy in that series made her a little more empathetic because she knows how precious life and friends are. If you think I'm wrong, feel free to let me know.**

 **I don't know who will be next. I want to write Thalia but I want to save her for last because that one is going to be the saddest for me to write. I guess whatever comes to me in that moment comes to me. Hope y'all are ready for a surprise.**

 **Hope everyone has a good day. See you soon.**


	3. Reyna

Oklahoma was nice.

The weather was warm, the landscape was beautiful, and the people were amazingly supportive. Piper had met some family that she knew the names, but not the faces of. Her father and she moved onto the land with the few possessions they had left. Her father, who was still trying to process the situation, was slowly coming around to acceptance.

Piper didn't mind. All she needed was her dad in one piece, and a roof over her head. Anything else was unnecessary and a luxury. Quite frankly, Piper liked the location, its connection to her roots, and the fact that she could see the stars and galaxy at night. That was not possible in light-polluted California. It also reminded her of a certain, fake school for troubled children, but she would never admit that.

The worst part of Oklahoma was the tornadoes. Three warnings had already been called since their arrival a few days ago. Luckily, a tornado shelter was built on the land so they were safe, but every time she saw a news piece on tornadoes on the little, rickety TV they now used, Piper felt like she got punched in the gut. Of course she would move to a location that is plagued with creations of Zeus/Jupiter. When the first tornado warning was called, Piper couldn't stop crying even hours after the warning had ended.

But, for the most part, Piper had no issues with her new home. It was definitely a downgrade from her former life, but she was not materialistic like some of her sisters so it didn't bother her. After everything she and her father had been through, Piper had a very good idea of what was and wasn't important.

However, there was one thing that had bothered Piper since their move: her dreams had become very active and very realistic. She hadn't had one dreamless night since they arrived, granted it had only been three nights. But even when Piper blinked, she swore she could see images floating around behind her eyelids for the nanosecond before she opened them again. For the past few nights, the dreams were just a vibrant jumble of random events and thoughts that if they had a meaning, were indecipherable.

But last night, she saw her mother.

She saw Aphrodite clearly, down to the individual hairs on her head, but for the the first time, the rest of the image appeared foggy. The goddess was arguing with someone, but Piper could not tell who. And her mother must have been heated because Piper had never seen her so expressive with her hands and her usually flawless face was surprisingly marked with some stress wrinkles. Piper also had not been given any audio in any of her dreams since moving to Oklahoma so her mother's words were lost.

Just when Piper was about to start screaming in her own head to get herself to wake up, she heard her mother's voice, crystal clear, right next to her ear even though her dream-self was ten yards away: "For the sake of my daughter, will you _please_ stop her!"

/

After waking up immediately following her mother's plead, Piper sat in bed for a while to contemplate her mother's words.

Piper assumed that she was the daughter Aphrodite was worried about. Why would the dream be shown to her otherwise? And who was coming after her? Why was Aphrodite so worried?

Piper knew the answers could fall on either side of the danger spectrum. Sometimes, her mother was right on calling out real danger that was heading her way. Most times, her mother's definition of "danger" was completely different from her daughter's. Usually, her mother's false alarms annoyed Piper because she had better things to worry about than her mother's warning of incoming _drama_ (which to Aphrodite was equal to danger). But today, Piper wished for it. She did not have the energy to deal with anything more.

Piper got out of bed and went to get food because she knew as a demigod, whatever was going to happen would occur whether she tried to stop it or not so she might as well be ready to take it on with a full stomach.

She sat at the kitchen table, eating cereal, thinking about her phone call with Annabeth from the afternoon prior. Piper didn't want to tell her and Percy over the phone but it was her only option at the moment, and they deserved to know as soon as possible.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door. Whatever Aphrodite was worried about, it was here. Piper, who had brought Katoptris into the kitchen with her just in case, held the knife under the table so it was out of the view of whoever walked in. Whatever enemy had the nerve to walk into her _home_ after everything that had happened was a special kind of stupid. Piper secretly hoped it was Caligula.

Her father answered the door and Piper couldn't hear their conversation well enough to know what was going on. She heard the door close and footsteps approaching. Her fingers curled tighter around the hilt of the knife.

To Piper's utter surprise, Reyna Ramirez-Arellano walked into the kitchen with her father following behind. The roman wore no armor or weapons, and Piper had never seen her so tired before. In her purple Camp Jupiter t-shirt and shorts, she could pass as any typical teenager.

Her dad spoke up. "Hey, Pipes, she said she's a friend of yours?" He gave Piper a questioning look over Reyna's shoulder.

Piper sat up straighter in her seat and in the process pressed her knife flat against the bottom of the table so her father wouldn't see it. The sound of the celestial bronze hitting the wood was drowned out by the sound of Piper's creaking chair, just as she had hoped.

However, of course, Reyna picked up on the sound and also shot Piper a questioning look.

"Yeah, dad. This is Reyna. She's a friend from Camp who lives nearby. I told her about the move because I wanted to see her." The lie fell easily, too easily for Piper's liking, from her lips. She never liked lying to her father, but it was becoming a recurring pattern after his memory was wiped. It was necessary in order to protect him, or at least that's what Piper kept telling herself. "Dad, I heard that Aunt Ama was looking for you. You might want to go see her," Piper laced her voice with slight charm, needing to get her father out of the house for a while. Her Aunt Ama lived well over two hours away so it would buy her some time.

Her father nodded, soaking up the idea. "Okay, I'll head out now." After grabbing keys to the car they were borrowing from a friend and bidding the two goodbye, he was out the door, leaving the girls alone.

Piper let out a breath and pulled Katoptris from under the table, placing it on the countertop. "I had a dream about my mother. She said someone was coming, but I didn't know who. And I can't let my dad see the knife. There would be a lot of questions I don't want to answer," she explained, shrugging. "Come join me."

Reyna walked over to the square dinner table and sat down on Piper's right. "I've never met your dad before. He seems nice," Reyna said, scooting her chair in.

Piper shrugged again. "Times are a little tough right now, but he's doing alright." She pulled her legs up onto the chair and hugged them. "What are you doing here?" Piper hoped the girl knew. She didn't want to recount the story again. It was currently pushed to the back of her mind, waiting to be triggered.

Reyna folded her hands on top of the table, her posture straight, looking like she was sitting at a Senatorial meeting instead of Piper's kitchen table where some drops of milk were still present from her father's breakfast that morning. "I had a dream where Jason Grace was killed and then I received a letter from Praetor Zhang early this morning to return to Camp Jupiter due to urgent matters," she said, her voice emotionless. She looked at Piper and Piper could see slight panic in her eyes, but her voice remained even. "I heard from tabloids that you would be here so I came for confirmation before I returned to the Legion and addressed the people."

Piper's chin fell onto her knees. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She knew better than to think that Reyna would be here for any other reason. "I'm sorry, Reyna," she whispered. She heard a sharp intake of breath from her right, and opened her eyes to see Reyna staring blankly at the table. Her jaw was clenched and her hands were slightly shaking.

"Well-" Reyna stood up from her chair, not meeting Piper's eyes, "-thank you for telling me. I should be getting back to Camp Jupiter now. Thank you for having me." Reyna turned to head back to the front door.

Suddenly, Piper's heart clenched at the idea of Reyna leaving which struck her as odd. Weren't they enemies just months ago? Sure, they had their "girl talk," but everything wasn't just perfect between them. But Piper knew deep down why she wanted Reyna to stay. The daughter of Bellona was with Jason through everything before Piper met him. If there was anyone who knew Jason as well as her, it was Reyna. They were both feeling the same pain in the same way. Piper felt connected to her, and she knew that if Reyna walked out that door, they would probably never see each other again.

Besides, the praetor looked exhausted, probably had not eaten anything all morning, and was emotionally unstable. It would be wrong for Piper to let her leave the house in her current state. She remembered her grandparents who always said _Anyone who comes into your house should leave it happier than they were before they walked in._

Piper scrambled to her feet. "Wait," she said, which halted Reyna in the middle of the kitchen. "You should stay. Just for a little while. You're probably exhausted and hungry. I'm not a great chef but I can probably whip up some eggs or something."

Reyna turned, and Piper noticed her eyes were teary. "No, it's okay. I have to get back to-"

Piper interrupted, "And let them see you like this? No offense, but you look like shit right now. You and I both know that you can't go in front of the camp like this." She beckoned to the table. "I'm not going to hold you prisoner, but you need some energy. It must have taken you awhile to get here, especially by a pegasus," she said, knowing Reyna's preferred way of travel.

"I have to be there by the dinner," Reyna protested weakly, her stomach grumbling against her will. She really did want to return to camp, but postponing it for a little wouldn't hurt, right? Her will was slowly running out.

"It's nine o'clock now, I'll kick you out by noon. That will give you plenty of time," Piper never added any charm to her voice as Reyna would recognize it and could turn hostile. However, she did use her most gentle voice to coax the young women into sitting at the table.

Reyna remained stiff in the middle of the kitchen. "May I use your bathroom?" she blurted out, looking unsure. Her eyes were still shiny and her face was getting red. She looked like a young lost child asking strangers for directions.

But Reyna was smart. Piper weighed the possibility that Reyna would simply use the bathroom as cover to slip out the front door, which was near the bathroom. Piper also knew that she couldn't kidnap the fellow demigod so if she wanted to leave, then she could. Piper wouldn't stop her.

So against her heart's objections, she told the other girl the way to the bathroom who nodded her head and excused herself. Piper let out a breath when she heard the bathroom door open and close.

After a few minutes, Reyna returned to the kitchen as Piper was pulling the eggs from the refrigerator. Her eyes were puffy and red, and she kept running a hand under her runny nose. It was the most vulnerable Piper has ever seen her.

Piper gave her a sad grin that looked more like a grimace. "Go ahead and take a seat. Make yourself comfy."

With one last futile look at the front door, Reyna did just that, falling heavily into a chair at the table. Piper smiled slightly.

"So, how do you like your eggs?"

/

After serving up some scrambled eggs, the duo sat at the table in silence while Reyna ate.

Piper wasn't sure what to say. Here they were, two exes of a dead demigod, sitting at a table on a Tuesday morning in Oklahoma. The situation would have brought a chuckle to Piper's lips if it weren't so damn depressing.

Reyna broke the ice. "I never heard what happened to Jason after he lost his memory. Can you tell me?" Reyna asked, her eyes never leaving her eggs. Her voice was softer and higher pitched than Piper had ever heard. It never dawned on her that Reyna might have a voice different from her typical commanding one that she presented to everyone. Not even their conversation about their love lives after the war with Gaia revealed Reyna in this way. Piper, for the first time, was seeing the real Reyna.

Piper thought back to the day at the Grand Canyon, where her life turned upside down. She went from being a normal (troublesome, but normal) teenager to being attacked by storm spirits and flying through the grand canyon with Jason. Piper recounted this to Reyna, talking about the false memories that Hera planted in their heads, making her and Leo very confused when Jason woke up on the bus not recognizing them. She told of the Grand Canyon escapade, Annabeth's arrival, and their travel to Camp Half-Blood. She told of their quest to save the goddess, fighting through Midas, Medea, giants, and Khione. She told of how Jason saw Hera reveal her true form, but Piper was able to charm speak him back to life. She told of how his memory slowly returned and they realized that the two leaders of the camps were switched. She described the painfully slow months of building the Argo II and waiting for it to be ready for travel across the country. Piper came to halt once they reached Camp Jupiter because Reyna knew the rest from there.

The older girl was a great listener. More than once, Piper had to stop and compose herself before continuing with the story. She never interrupted. She kept her attention on Piper at all times, encouraging her to continue, but never pushing her to tell something too difficult. Piper didn't realize how therapeutic the recounting would be until she finished and she felt a thousand times lighter. It gave Piper peace to know that one more person knew Jason's story and could pass it on.

By the time Piper finished, Reyna was done with her eggs and she was leaning back in her chair, her posture relaxed. She was shaking her head slightly.

"You really charmspoke him back to life?" she asked disbelievingly. "Circe used charmspeak on _many_ people, but I don't think she was even that powerful," she said, almost to herself.

Piper wasn't sure what Reyna's connection to Circe was, but she nodded in thanks for the compliment. "I guess when you're desperate, anything can happen. Besides talking Gaea to sleep, I've never done anything else so powerful. I usually get drained too quick," Piper said modestly, thinking about her exhaustion while on Caligula's boats.

"You know," Reyna started, "the reason I was bitter towards your charmspeak was because I have seen what people can do with, how they can manipulate anyone and put them under a spell. I was worried that you would use it like everyone else, to put yourself ahead." Reyna gave her a small smile. "I was wrong about you. If there was anyone who I would want to have charmspeak, it would be you because I know you only use it for good."

Piper felt a blush creeping up her neck at the unexpected compliment. "Thanks, Reyna." She gestured to the space around them. "The world sucks. I have no reason to abuse it further."

Reyna chuckled at that. "The world does suck." She paused. "Did Jason ever tell you about the battle against Krios?"

And so the girls went back and forth, exchanging stories about the fallen demigod. Stories of laughter, sadness, love, and battle. Tears were shed and tissues were exchanged. Hands were tightly and reassuringly held during particularly hard tellings.

Through it all, the daughter of Aphrodite and daughter of Bellona felt their spirits lift and their hearts lose a few pounds. The connection that Piper felt earlier was now mutual between the two, knowing that they both held unique positions in Jason's life. They didn't see this as a reason to fight, but one to come together and share their experiences.

Eventually, Piper looked at the clock and saw that it was half past noon. Her heart deflated at the idea of the other girl leaving but she knew it was necessary. While Reyna's eyes were red, she looked more confident and energized, ready to lead a city through mourning. Her three hours with Piper were exactly what she needed before she returned. However, she had to leave now or else she wouldn't make it back to the camp before dinner.

Piper walked Reyna to the door and pulled her into a tight embrace. Reyna pulled away, a few tears running down her cheeks that she brushed away with her hand. She exited through the door, her pegasus waiting for her, before turning around.

"Piper?" She smiled. "Thank you," she said earnestly.

Piper smiled and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"If you ever find yourself in California," Reyna said, "feel free to drop by camp. We'd love to have you."

"Hopefully, I'll be around soon. Right now, I just need some time…" Piper trailed off, but Reyna nodded her head in understanding. No words needed to be shared between the two to describe their pain.

Reyna turned and mounted her pegasus, and with one final wave, took off towards the west.

Piper closed the door and headed back into her new house, falling onto the couch.

The morning gave her hope, that this seemly impossible obstacle was passable. Piper could feel the sisterly bond growing between them, and she found herself looking forward to her first trip to Camp Jupiter.

/

 **Happy Mother's Day to all of your moms and mother figures! Appreciate your mama today for me.**

 **I also really liked this chapter. I think Piper and Reyna's relationship deserves a little love because they're two badass girls with opposite backgrounds and parents, and yet they come together to be an awesome duo IMO. They're both very modest and are willing to do anything to save the people around them. As characters, I respect both of them greatly so I enjoyed putting them in the same room. I hope I captured their characters correctly.**

 **Also, as you can tell this story is in past tense and I have not written in past tense in a while so if the tenses are all fucked up, I apologize. Some things sound correct in my head as I write them, but sound weird once you actually read it aloud so idk. I didn't proofread this so sorry. I hope you can enjoy it through a couple grammatical and spelling errors. Also, when I saved the doc, it fucked up the formatting so I went back and I think I deleted everything but I could have missed some stuff, so it there's random characters added or letters missing, that's what that is. Sorry.**

 **Nico and Will are next. I've been trying to make the chapters in chronological order but this one is going to make it a little wonky since Nico obviously knows as soon as it happens. Sorry. Again, if there is any more characters you want to see, let me know!**

 **Have a good Mother's Day. See y'all soon.**


	4. Thalia

Apollo always liked Thalia Grace.

She had spunk, she didn't take people's crap, she could conjure lightning, and, yeah, she was cute. She checked every box on Apollo's list.

Apollo was also always scared of Thalia Grace.

She was powerful, she had the glare of a wolf, she could conjure freaking _lightning_ , and she was beautifully deadly in the midst of battle. Her presence demanded to be acknowledged, her silver circlet always somehow gleaming annoyingly into the eyes of those who disrespect her.

You don't mess with Thalia Grace, and even Apollo was smart enough to know that.

But, more importantly, you _do not_ mess with Thalia Grace's loved ones.

She was deathly loyal, and would bring misery to anyone who dared lay a finger on those she considered important in her life. Family, Annabeth, and her hunters were at the top of Thalia's list, and may the gods have mercy on anyone who dared mess with them.

The first time Apollo went to Camp Half-Blood after Jason's death, he honestly forgot about the other Grace. He was just so relieved to be safe and at the place that he was starting to consider his home.

It wasn't until he and the cabin leaders were all huddled around the ping pong table one morning in the Big House, where he retold the story of his quest, that it dawned on him that Thalia was still in the dark about her brother. Apollo pulled Chiron aside after the meeting, basically pleading the centaur for help. Chiron agreed to call the Hunters to camp the next morning and talk to Thalia, much to the former god's relief.

However, Chiron would never get the chance.

That afternoon, sudden lightning bolts in the sky startled the camp. Apollo, who was on the porch of the Big House, stood when he saw movement over the hill next to the large pine tree. He pulled a sword from his hip, the feeling of wearing a sheath becoming so comfortable over the past weeks that he continued the trend at camp. Apollo wasn't sure what could possibly be attacking now that the war was over. Drakon? Empousa? Hellhounds?

What came over the hill was much worse than any monster from Tartarus.

Surrounded by buzzing static electricity and an occasional lightning bolt, Thalia Grace came stomping down the hill with murder in her eyes.

And her eyes were set straight onto Apollo.

Apollo dropped his sword and walked towards her so at least when he got struck by lightning, it wouldn't damage the Big House. He knew there was no running from this so he waited for the daughter of Zeus to reach him in the middle, even though every bone in his body was quaking.

As she got closer, the hair on Apollo started to stand up due to the static. In a different situation, it would have been funny. Apollo also noticed that she wasn't wearing any makeup and was crying. Her boots were untied, her pants unbloused. She didn't even have her prized circlet on her head.

She walked straight up to Apollo and got into his face. With his new mortal height, they were eye to eye and she was close enough that their noses were almost touching.

Apollo gulped, and, gods, did he want to look away.

The commotion of the lightning had caused a gathering by the volleyball courts. There was silence as everyone waited for Thalia's first move.

Apollo opened his mouth to speak, but Thalia cut him off. "Where's my brother, Apollo?" Her voice was shaky, but loud.

The tension was too much. Apollo finally looked away and down at his shoes. This is infuriated Thalia.

"NO!" She shoved Apollo back, and the electricity in the air finally popped. Apollo was blasted backwards in a bright flash, skidding to a halt in front of the Big House stairs. His shirt was smoking where her hands made contact, and he tasted sulfur. Thalia marched right back to his prone position, and stood over him.

"I am not taking silence for an answer! Where the fuck is my brother?" She shouted, leaning over and grabbing Apollo by the collar of his shirt. "You were supposed to protect him! And now you won't answer me! Why is my brother dead?"

Tears were openingly falling down her face now as she continued her onslaught on Apollo. She never looked away from Apollo's fearful eyes as she yelled at him. A lightning bolt struck the ground near Apollo's head, and the impact caused dirt to fly into his face.

"He was protecting us," Apollo groaned out. He couldn't tell if it was the continuous current of electricity into his body or the overwhelming taste and scent of sulfur that was making him woozy. "He attacked Caligula so we could escape. He's a hero," Apollo said gravelly, trying to keep his eyes open.

"No, Apollo!" she yelled, picking his limp body off the ground by his collar and standing him up. "He was a child! He was my baby brother!" She cried out those last words, but her voice remained loud. She was openly sobbing now, her eyes red, her chest heaving, and her nose running. Her eyes were a mix of anger and desperation. But her strength never faltered.

"Thalia," he said slowly, his mouth dry, "We would all be dead if he didn't… if he didn't sacrifice himself. He knew what he was doing. Jason saved us."

Apollo slowly took her hands with his own and pulled them from his shirt. She was still hyperventilating and crying, staring unfocused at some spot on his chest. Apollo thought back to Camp Jupiter, when Annabeth pulled his sanity back into line with a hug. Before he could think twice, he embraced the daughter of Zeus tightly.

There was a nice second where Apollo thought he did the right thing, and then it backfired.

Apollo felt her breathing slow down, and heard her let out a surprised gasp before he was once again on the ground in a flash of light, his body convulsing from the electric shock.

 _Stupid_ , he thought as his body throbbed.

Thalia walked over him again and pointed her finger at him. "You do not get to touch me." She turned to her hunters. "Don't let him leave your sight. I'm not done with him." She then turned away from the former god and stalked towards the woods, holding up her hand to a hunter who went to follow her. "Please, I just… Watch him. I will be back soon. Please," she said over shoulder, continuing into the woods until she was no longer visible.

Apollo looked up at the hunters that were now circling him and groaned. "Okay, who wants to join me to the bathroom because I need to change my pants."

/

Thalia didn't know where she was going and she didn't care. As long as she was away from pitying and prying eyes, she could be in a dumpster for all she cared.

She knew they tried to hide it, but Thalia saw the looks her hunters gave her on their trek to camp. As soon as their scout got word about what happened, Thalia dropped everything and led the charge to New York. They were worried for her, rightfully so, but Thalia didn't want their worry. She wanted them to speed the hell up so they could get to camp faster.

The looks she was receiving from bystanders during her altercation with Apollo were too much for her to handle so here she was, running away into the woods. There were too many times in Thalia's life where she was the recipient of a pity party and she got sick of it years ago.

She had already lost her brother once for over ten years, convinced that he was left for dead by their deadbeat mother. She knew she should have pushed her mother harder for answers, and she would forever feel guilty for it. She knew her mother was up to no good when she asked her to grab the food from the car, and yet she still left her brother.

For over ten years, she kept her secret from everyone because she was too ashamed to admit that _she_ lost her brother. It was the one thing that Thalia promised to cherish and keep to herself, no matter what.

And then, by the fates, he shows up alive and well. When she first saw him, Thalia immediately had a hunch. His eyes, his face, his hair were all too familiar. When she held his face and saw his scar, it only confirmed her beliefs.

Alive. He was alive the whole damn time, and she had no idea.

Thalia was naive enough to believe that she had him back for good. Once the Giant War ended, with no new threats on the horizon, she found herself wanting to believe in a happy-ever-after for the Grace family.

She should have known better.

They had an informant on Caligula's boat who was keeping them updated on the monster's movements. After everything that went down on the boats, it took their insider a couple weeks to safely pass on the information that Jason Grace had been killed in the fight while Apollo and Piper McLean were able to escape.

Thalia's first instinct was to find Caligula and rip his throat out. She felt surprisingly numb, unable to produce any emotion besides rage. Her informant told her that while unlikely, there was a small chance that her sources could have been wrong.

So she dropped everything and ordered the Hunters to go to Camp Half-Blood.

However, while her insider kept reassuring her, Thalia knew that Jason was dead.

Fate was not kind to demigods so luck was not something they could count on. Also, Thalia had been having a strange feeling in her chest for the past couple weeks. She thought it was because their lead on a monster they were tracking was falling through. It felt like she was missing something, a hollow feeling in her heart. Now, she knew.

Thalia pulled herself from her thoughts to examine her surroundings, and she was surprised to find herself in front of Zeus' Fist.

It felt like a punch in the gut to the Hunter.

She walked to the base of the rocks before her legs buckled and she fell to her knees, burying her face in her hands as she started to cry again. She punched the rocks in front of her and looked up, even though the treetops blocked her view of the sky.

"Why didn't you protect him? Have we not lost enough already?" she cried out.

Thunder boomed overhead.

Thalia punched the rocks again. "He has saved your ass again and again, and you let him die! I blame you!"

Lightning flashed, striking the tree above Thalia. Branches and leaves fell around her.

"Go ahead and kill me," she taunted, rising to her feet. "I would like to listen to your explanation to Artemis from the Underwood."

More lightning flashed, but at a safe distance.

"Coward," she muttered, turning her back on the rock and heading back towards camp. She could feel her grief turning to anger, blossoming in her chest.

No matter who she blamed, Caligula still killed Jason. He was the only one who deserved her wrath, and she vowed to give it to him, dead or alive.

Thalia returned to camp to find Apollo still in the same spot she had left him, but he was sitting up and had on different pants. Her hunters immediately acknowledged her presence by standing at attention. Thalia pointed her finger at Apollo.

"I decided I'm done with him. I want him out of my sight," she ordered. One of the hunters nodded, wordlessly grabbing Apollo under his arms, and pulling him away towards the strawberry fields. Thalia turned to her second-in-command. "I need you to find Nico DiAngelo, son of Hades. I do not care where he is; you bring him to me."

Her hunter nodded before turning, and barking orders to the wolves and other hunters.

"Wait!"

Thalia turned to see Apollo looking desperately at her.

"Thalia, what are you planning on doing?"

Her blue eyes flashed dangerously.

"Apollo, once you become a god again, please tell my father ' _Πήγαινε γαμώ εαυτό σου_ ' for me." Thalia turned away from the former god's bugging eyes.

"Now, can anyone tell me where I can get a Happy Meal?"

/

 **What is Thalia planning? You decide.**

 **Anyway, I think this is it for this story. I tried to write for Will and Nico, but it just wouldn't come out the way I wanted it to. I couldn't get their reactions or characters right so it is probably best left untouched. I have no one left to write, unless a good suggestion comes through that I can work with. I hope you enjoy Thalia's anger, though. The little message at the end, as you can imagine, is Thalia telling her father to do something that isn't appropriate for young viewers. Feel free to stick it into Google Translate, I hope it comes out right.**

 **I also want to announce that I am officially rewriting my first story** ** _I'm Here_** **. I was thinking about it the other day, ideas just kept flowing, and now I have an eight chapter outline for the story. This version will be written better, and have a complete, concise plot. Or at least I hope. We'll see. To stay updated on that, follow me as an author or follow the old story, where I will post an update once the new story is up. First chapter will be out soon.**

 **Sorry for any spelling errors, blah blah blah. Thanks for reading! :)**


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